Set & Exhibit Designers

set design special effect budget location material exhibit creativity artistic commercial purpose

Display Coordinator, Exhibit Designer, Scenic Designer, Set Designer

What they do:
Design special exhibits and sets for film, video, television, and theater productions. May study scripts, confer with directors, and conduct research to determine appropriate architectural styles.
On the job, you would:
  • Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations.
  • Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed.
  • Prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams relating to aspects such as special effects or lighting.

Knowledge

Arts and Humanities

  • music, dance, visual arts, drama, or sculpture
  • history and archeology

Engineering and Technology

  • design
  • computers and electronics

Communications

  • multimedia

Manufactured or Agricultural Goods

  • manufacture and distribution of products

Skills

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • reading work related information

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Abilities

Verbal

  • listen and understand what people say
  • read and understand what is written

Ideas and Logic

  • come up with lots of ideas
  • create new and original ideas

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include creating, designing, and making your own rules.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Cooperation
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Initiative
  • Innovation

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Computer aided design CAD software

  • Autodesk Revit Hot Technology
  • Trimble SketchUp Pro Hot Technology

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology

Graphics or photo imaging software

  • Adobe Creative Cloud software Hot Technology
  • Adobe Illustrator Hot Technology

Education

Education: (rated 5 of 5)
bachelor's degree or
master's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

Find Training
Apprenticeship.gov

Job Outlook

Average
New job opportunities are likely in the future.
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about set and exhibit designers.